Family Time: Permanent birth control options for women

Tuesday

Mar 1, 2011 at 12:01 AMMar 1, 2011 at 1:13 AM

Weekly family rail, with tips for mothers who are done having children, a review of “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” and more.

Tip of the Week

Many women - especially those for whom childbearing is complete - want a reliable option that they do not have to remember daily. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that permanent female contraception is the leading method of birth control among women 30 to 44 years of age and is used by more than half of women age 40 to 44 years. Here are some questions you should ask yourself and consider with your family and your doctor to determine if permanent contraception is right for you:

- Do you want to have children? If you already have a family, do you plan to have more children? When you think about this question, be sure to do so at a stress-free time in your life. Making a decision during a time of stress such as after a divorce, breakup, miscarriage or any traumatic experience can impact your decision-making process.

- Do you have concerns about hormones in traditional birth control or wonder about how other medicines might affect your daily birth control? Choosing a permanent birth control like means no more altering of your body's chemicals because it uses no hormones or drugs that can disrupt your menstrual cycle or affect your natural body chemistry.

- Does the thought of surgery send you running in the other direction? Can you get your significant other anywhere close to a doctor? If you answer "yes" to the first and "no" to the second, you should discuss options with your doctor. Many women think that the only choices for permanent contraception are to have their "tubes tied" through a tubal ligation or to send their partner for a vasectomy, both of which are invasive procedures. However, there is another option for women - a small silicone insert that is placed into your fallopian tubes. The procedure can be done in the comfort of the doctor's office and usually takes less than 15 minutes.

- ARA

Family Screening Room

“Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son”

Rated: PG-13 (for some sexual humor and brief violence)

Length: 107 minutes

Synopsis: FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) and his 17-year-old son Trent (Brandon T. Jackson) go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder. Posing as Big Momma and Charmaine, they must find the murderer before he finds them.

Violence/scary rating: 3.5

Sexual-content rating: 3.5

Profanity rating: 3

Drugs/alcohol rating: 2

Family Time rating: 3.5. This isn’t a horrible family film, but it’s definitely not for preteens and younger kids.

(Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being “bad for kids” and 1 being “fine for kids.”)

Book Report

“King Puck,” by Michael Garland

Ages: 4-8

Pages: 32

Synopsis: This magical story will set Irish eyes a-smiling! The happy Irish farmer Seamus and his pet goat Finny seek the chance of a lifetime at the King Puck Festival. And as Seamus and Finny's adventure unfolds, you'll adore finding the fairies hidden in each of the radiant illustrations. “King Puck” is a jig-reeling, kid-appealing tale of friendship, fun and fairy magic. - HarperCollins Publishers

Did You Know

According to a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 55 percent of dogs in the U.S. are obese, and 53 percent of cats are.

GateHouse News Service

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